After researching the vaults I still haven't been able to answer my question. The drug PCP is not Formaldehyde (Embalming fluid) but rather PCP is a totally different compound, and the mix-up is just due to slang? PCP is not extracted or derived from Embalming fluid?

Please help me answer this question, because it seems people assume you can get high off embalming fluid from your local mortician.

A:

You are exactly right. Embalming fluid (as used by a mortician) is generally dilute (watered down) formaldehyde. PCP is not embalming fluid. There is no PCP in embalming fluid. PCP cannot be derived from embalming fluid. Formaldehyde and PCP are not chemically related. There is little reason to believe that formaldehyde would produce any pleasant or desireable effects when smoked.

Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen linked to nasal and lung cancer, and with possible links to brain cancer and leukemia and should not be smoked.

The confusion comes simply because somewhere along the line PCP picked up the slang name "embalming fluid". Since the confusion began, it is entirely possible, even likely, that some people have smoked formaldehyde soaked cannabis or tobacco, thinking they were getting the same "Embalming Fluid" (PCP) that they had smoked before.